Definitions for republicrɪˈpʌb lɪkre·pub·lic

Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word republic.

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

democracy, republic, commonwealth(noun)

a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

republic(noun)

a form of government whose head of state is not a monarch

"the head of state in a republic is usually a president"

Wiktionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

republic(Noun)

A state where sovereignty rests with the people or their representatives, rather than with a monarch or emperor; a country with no monarchy.

The United States is a republic; Great Britain is technically a monarchy.

republic(Noun)

A state, which may or may not be a monarchy, in which the executive and legislative branches of government are separate. (archaic)

Republicanism is the political principle of the separation of the executive power (the administration) from the legislative; despotism is that of the autonomous execution by the state of laws which it has itself decreed. ... Therefore, we can say: the smaller the personnel of the government (the smaller the number of rulers), the greater is their representation and the more nearly the constitution approaches to the possibility of republicanism; thus the constitution may be expected by gradual reform finally to raise itself to republicanism ... None of the ancient so-called "republics" knew this system, and they all finally and inevitably degenerated into despotism under the sovereignty of one, which is the most bearable of all forms of despotism. uE00018089uE001 Immanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Republic

A republic is a form of government in which affairs of state are a "public matter", not the private concern of the rulers. In a republic, public offices are appointed or elected rather than inherited, and are not the private property of the people who hold them. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarch. Currently, 135 of the world's 206 sovereign states use the word "republic" as part of their official names.
Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their ideology and composition. In classical and medieval times the archetype of all republics was the Roman Republic, which referred to Rome in between the period when it had kings, and the periods when it had emperors. The Italian medieval and Renaissance political tradition today referred to as "civic humanism" is sometimes considered to derive directly from Roman republicans such as Sallust and Tacitus. However, Greek-influenced Roman authors, such as Polybius and Cicero, sometimes also used the term as a translation for the Greek politeia which could mean regime generally, but could also be applied to certain specific types of regime which did not exactly correspond to that of the Roman Republic. Republics were not equated with classical democracies such as Athens, but had a democratic aspect.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

Republic

rē-pub′lik, n. a commonwealth: a form of government without a monarch, in which the supreme power is vested in representatives elected by the people.—adj.Repub′lican, belonging to a republic: agreeable to the principles of a republic.—n. one who advocates a republican form of government: a democrat: one of the two great political parties in the United States, opposed to the Democrats, favouring a high protective tariff, a liberal expenditure, and an extension of the powers of the national government.—v.t.Repub′licanise.—n.Repub′licanism, the principles of republican government: attachment to republican government.—n.Republicā′rian.—Republic of Letters, a name for the general body of literary and learned men.—Republican era, the era adopted by the French after the downfall of the monarchy, beginning with 22d September 1792.—Red republican, a violent republican, from the red cap affected by such. [Fr. république—L. respublica, commonwealth.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

Republic

the name given to a State in which the sovereign power is vested in one or more elected by the community, and held answerable to it though in point of fact, both in Rome and the Republic of Venice the community was not free to elect any one outside of a privileged order.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

republic

Is a political system in which the democratic power resides with the citizens of legal voting age who are empowered to elect people into government to represent them through a fair voting system that ensures a form of proportional representation that reflects and represents the collective and inclusive interest and will of the eligible electorate, citizens and people of the country and their jurisdiction, that empowers the will of the eligible electorate, citizens and people and provides them with the vital processes, procedures, structures, systems and technology to ensure they are consulted directly on the proposal, development and creation of governmental constitution, policies, procedures, structures, systems, law and legislation to ensure the collective and inclusive choices, interest, opinion, will and voices of the eligible electorate, citizens and people of the country are heard.

Many countries around the world are a Republic. e.g. the Republic of Ireland, The Republic of Congo.